This invention relates to water craft. In particular, a preferred form of the invention relates to an unmanned water craft for use in fishing.
In the context of on-shore fishing it is desirable for a fisherman to be able to drop a baited hook held by a line some distance from the shore. To achieve this it is known to use a small unmanned water craft to carry a baited hook and line to a desired water position some way from the shore. Such craft are normally attached to a safety line which is held by the fisherman on shore. However, a problem with this mode of fishing is that it is difficult to control the distance traveled by the craft out across the water. A further problem is that in the event of a wave overturning the craft it must be dragged back to shore, still overturned, by way of the attached safety line. It is accordingly an object of at least one form of the invention to go at least some way towards addressing at least one of the above problems.
In interpreting this specification, including the associated claims, the term xe2x80x9ccomprisingxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9ccomprisesxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9ccomprisexe2x80x9d should be taken to be non-exclusivexe2x80x94ie should be taken to mean xe2x80x9cconsisting of or includingxe2x80x9d.
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a small unmanned water craft for carrying a fishing line to which a fishing hook is attached across a body of water, the water craft comprising a sail arrangement and control means, the sail arrangement comprising a sail which can be in a hoisted position and can subsequently assume a non-hoisted position, the control means being such that when the water craft is in use sailing across the body of water the control means can be activated from a shore position remote from the water craft to cause the sail to assume the non-hoisted position.
Preferably the control means comprises a control line which can extend from the water craft to the shore position, and wherein a suitable pulling force on the control line activates the control means to release the sail to move to the non-hoisted position. Alternatively, the control means can be activated from the shore position by way of an electronic remote control to cause the sail to move to the non-hoisted position.
Preferably the control means comprises a shaft and a release arm, the control means being such that the shaft can contact the release arm to prevent the sail from moving to the non-hoisted position, and the shaft can then be moved away from contact with the release arm to enable the sail to move under gravity to assume the non-hoisted position.
Preferably the control means comprises a rotatable axis, the release arm extending from the axis, the arrangement being such that suitable rotation of the axis causes the sail to move under gravity to assume the non-hoisted position.
Preferably the control means comprises a release catch, the release catch extending from the axis, the sail arrangement comprising a thread or threads extending from the sail and being held by the release catch, the control means being such that rotation of the axis causes the release catch to release the thread or threads, the release of the thread or threads causing the sail to move under gravity to assume the non-hoisted position.
Preferably the control means comprises a housing and a spring, the shaft being held at least partially within the housing and being biased towards the sail arrangement by way of the spring, the control means being such that the shaft can contact the release arm under pressure from the spring to prevent the sail from moving to the non-hoisted position, and the shaft can then be moved away from contact with the release arm by overcoming the pressure from the spring to enable the axis to rotate.
According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a water craft suitable for controlled unmanned use in carrying a fishing line to which a fishing hook is attached across a body of water, the water craft comprising self righting means, the self righting means comprising a weight arranged to be acted on by gravity to pull the water craft to a normal sailing orientation if the water craft is overturned while in use on the body of water.
Preferably the self righting means comprises a tubular member housing the weight, the weight being moveable under gravity within the tubular member.
Preferably the self righting means comprises a first tubular member housing the weight, and a second tubular member, the first and second tubular members being in a substantially xe2x80x9cVxe2x80x9d shaped configuration and each being at an acute angle with respect to horizontal when the water craft is in a normal in-use orientation.
Some preferred forms of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: